The decline of American Civilization.

[KlatooBNikto]

Could the agents of our decline be as simple and innocuous looking as the cell phone,Instant Messenger and i-Pods? That is my conclusion after intensive research into the habits of my kids.This invasion by teenage hordes strapped onto their ear plugs and dancing zombielike at all odd hours threatens to overcome anything and everything in its path.Parents, teachers, counselors none of them stand a chance against the torrent of eeeewwws,bwahahaaha,dude and other linguistic gymnastics performed by these mutants from an alien planet.

Take for example my 16 year old, Claire, who came home from school last friday angry at her teacher because she assigned homework on a friday after noon.

Here is Claire's verdict against her teacher for daring to assign homework on a friday." How dare Miss O give us homework and spoil our weekend?Doesn't she know that a lot of us girls go to the malls looking for hot boys?"

Me: Can't that wait for the next weekend?
Claire: Dad, you don't understand.What if all teachers start doing that?All my weekends will be spoiled. They ought to know we have a life besides school.

Me: Don't you think school is more important than shopping.?
Claire: Dad, how come you are so dumb? If I don't hang out with my friends, they will say I am a nerd and I might as well be dead.
And we got to listen to Josh Groban.He is the cooolest.

Me: What did Miss O assign for you in World History.
Claire: Something to do with Mess of Potamia.
Me: Did you know that is now called Iraq and we have lot of problems in that country?
Claire: Who cares what it is called.I just dont want any homework on a weekend.
Me: Did you think about the elections we are having next tuesday.
Claire: Yeah, I heard about it. What is happening?
Me: President Bush and Vice President Cheney are running against Senator Kerry and Senator Edwards.I am hoping Senator Kerry and Edwards win.
Claire: Dad, When I get to be 18, I am going to vote for Senator Kerry and Edwards.
Me: That's my girl.Why would that be?
Claire:Senator Edwards is ho.........t!Cate Edwards is cute, so is Vanessa Kerry.
Me: What about Mr.Cheney.?
Claire: Are you out of your mind too dad? eeeeeeewwwwww!

My faith has been restored in the younger generation after battling the demons of iPod, Cellphones and IMs.

It is going to be a good day on November 2,if some of my daughters class and schoolmates go to the polls and take a good hard look at Cheney's picture before voting.

[indigobusiness]

1. There is, and has been, considerable electronic programming of minds

taking place.

What gains were made by the great music of the 60's+ has been erased by a mind flush of subsequent influence.

I fear the worst.

[bryant69]

2. Those darned kids and that music they listen to

Why it's terrible! The music is awful, the lyrics no good--why can't the listen to the kind of music we listened to in the good old days! And when I was a kid we had vinyl records and they were good enough for us, why do we need all these new fangled Compact Disks or Mp3s.

A good percentage of music at any time, including the vaunted 1960s is mindless confirmist crap. There's still a lot of great music being made. Check out the latest Fatboy Slim for example. Not very political but very cool.

Bryant
check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[KlatooBNikto]

6. I am not against the music per se but the almost perpetual strapping

on to these devices.When the music stops, the cell phone rings and now the cell phones carry IMs.There is, of course, the i-Pods that no kool kid can be without and I understand Apple is threatening to introduce an i-Pod with TV or DVD or whatever.The sheer number and variety fo yakkit yakking devices is what is dumbing our kids down.They are almost always "in touch" it seems. If parents say no, one of my daughter's girlfriends said she should complain to the authorities about child abuse!

[bryant69]

10. Well complaining about Childe Abuse is a little nuts

But I've been wearing a walkman since I was 15--I don't think it's made me any dumber. If Kids are creative and inquisative and their parents spend time with them to encourage those traits, than they'll have those traits.

You can't put the genie back in the bottle, so the solution is for peopel to be good parents. I hate to sound all family values-y, but there it is.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[Child_Of_Isis]

3. My daughter is 17.

She volunteers for the Kerry/Edwards campaign. But definitely NOT on the weekends! ;-)

[democracy eh]

4. characteristics and attitudes of different generations resource

Managing People by Generations
by Claire Raines
http://www.generationsatwork.com/

very insightful stuff

trying to find a graphic of a chart to post

[Rainbowreflect]

5. LOL, I can see just about every teenage girl I know in that story.

[KlatooBNikto]

9. My older daughters who have become mothers are now totally different and

mature women even though they were just as immune to anything other than their music, boyfriends and cool kid stuff when they were growing up.Somewhere along the road an epiphany occurs with these grils that transforms them mysteriously.Whatever it is, for a parent it comes as a total surprise to be able to hold a normal conversation with your own girl who used to make George Bush look like Cicero on speed.

[muriel_volestrangler]

7. Tell your daughter at 16 I got 2 sets of homework on Friday

one for Friday, another for the weekend.

Eehh, these young'uns today, they don't know they're born .... shoebox in t'middle of road ...

[KlatooBNikto]

8. She will say you and I should have gotten a life!